Loading or unloading apparatus.



PATENTBD MAR. 21, 1905.

J. D. BUCHANAN. LOADING OR UNLOADING APPARATUP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET .Witnesses PATBNTED MAR. 21, 1905. J. D. BUCHANAN.

LOADING 0R UNLOADING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1904.

4 SHEETS-\SHEBT 3.

Witnesses b9 i I? Htiomegs nnw Patented March 21, 1905.

ijniran States PATE T @rrrcn.

JOHN DJBUCHANAN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

LOADENG QR UNLOADBNG APPARATUS.

SPEfiIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,400, dated March21, 1905. Application filed July 29, 1904. Serial No. 218,719.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJOIIN D. BUCHANAN, a citizen of the'United States,residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Loading andUnloading Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus of that general class employed forthe loading and unloadi'ngpf vessels, and particularly to devicesemployed for transferring freight to and from river-steamers.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a conveyor which maybe carried by the vessel and readily adjusted to position for deliveringgoods to a wharf or landing or the reception of goods therefrom, theconveyor being located at any suitable point on the boat, preferably atthe bow or stern, so that it may be swung for the landing of goods ateither the port or starboard side.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this classin which the conveyer is collapsible or folding, so thata conveyer ofconsiderable length may be readily carried by comparatively smallvessels, thereby to avoid projection of the device to an 0bjectionablcextent or height while the boat is traveling.

A still further object of the invention is to providea device with agang-plank for the use of passengers, so that the passengers orboathands may walk ashore or aboard without intcrfering with the use ofthe convcyer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a self-containedconveying device carrying its -own motor mechanism and so arranged as topermit of convenient adjustment vat any angle in accordance with theposition of the boat and tlniz state of the tide.

lVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists'of the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter fully described,

illustrate] in the accompanying drawings, and

particularly'pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor detailsof the structure may be made without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure l is an elevation of a conveyorconstructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same inposition for use. Fig. 2 is front elevation of the derrick employed tosupport the conveyer. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation ofthe conveyer on a somewhat onlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a plan view of theconveyor, illustrating principally the mechanism for cfi'ecting itsadjustment to port and starboard. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalelevation, on an enlarged scale, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. (3 is adetail plan view of that end of the convcyer attached to the boat,showing principally the motor mechanism. Fig, 7

a detail planview illustrating the meeting ends of the sections of theconveyer. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the shore end of the conveyerillustrating the mechanism for adjusting the tension of theconveyingmechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of a portion ofthe tension-adjusting device.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

in the majority of river-boats at the present time loading and unloadingis {accomplished by trucks, and in many cases this is found impossibleor extremely diliicult when the tide is low or during wet weather. Incarrying out the present invention each boat is provided with aconveying device preforahly located at a midship point and so arrangedthat it may be shifted to either port orstarboard, in accordance withthe location of the wharf or landing where goods areto be delivered orreceived. The mechanismis so arranged that it may be convenientlyhandled by steam, a suitable derrick being employed for the purpose ofelevating the conveyor to an angle suitable for the purpose and othermechanism being provided for shifting the shore end of the device eitherto porter starboard, as required by circumstances. The frame of theconveyor is formed of a number of sections, two of such sections 1 and 2being indicated in the present instance, and these ed ro ers mm at H1 in6rd 1 thereby fts sears mansve sfi shav n.0- ix'eight or 0th posited 0nthe as a positive m ion of is and miim" vide I:

(ling-J ye:- surm semion,

pm ui'ta conve 9 run;

the A06 .11 innes" mrx-yi embe and Ema and art of ute comtru cmws v 61COIN the. coma m, 1

hand i ty r: 12PM pinions t6, earriedhya transversely-disposed shaft e7,that is vprovided at its opposite ends. with rectangular or non-circularportions to The adjacent ends of the conveyer-sections 1 and 2 areprovided with side plates s8, con- 7 nected by the hinge member 3.previously refer-red to, and in one set of plates are bearings for thereception-of a. transversely-disposed shaft 49, carrying a gear 50, thatinter meshes with gears 51 and 52, carried by the shafts 23 and 35;respectively; and serving to transmit movement from the shaft 23 to saidshaft when the parts are arranged in o p- 'erative position. 'When theouter section 2 of the conveyer is lowered to the dotted-line positionillustrated in Fig 3 or is folded back,

i 2 5 into parallel relation ,with the section 1 of the c'onv eyen' thegears are thrown out of mesh,

150- that movement will not .he'tra'nsmitted from the section 1 to thesection 2 of the conveyer, andthis is accomplished whereit' is not gonecessaryto employ the section 1 of thecon veyer for the-transfer ofgoods to a platform located within ashort distance of the side of.

' the boat.

In order-todacilitate the transfer of freight,

3 5 the lower portion of the conveyer, or that por- '-tlOn whichcontains the motor mechanism, is provided with a plurality offlier-rollers 3, on which the deck hands will deposit the freigh t andpush the same forward until caught 40 by the conveyor, and at the shoreend is ar-.

provided ranged a similarplatform 54., also with idler-rollers 55, onwhich the ireight may he received ordeposited for transfer to the boat.The'tilfiilg 0f the packages while be? ing transferred i'rom section 1to section 20f the conveyor is preventedpby the employment of oneormore, sets oit' idlers 55, carried hy the sideplates' i8,- which formthe connections hetwee'n the conveyer-seetions;

5 hle to readily load'and unload-freight of anykind or character atminimum expense of time and labor, and the device furthermore may heused as a gang plank for the convenience v of the passengers and membersof the crew.

"When taken aboard, the sections vof the'con veyer may be folded, sothat they will not pro- With a'device of this character it is'possi vironsject to an objectionable entent heyend the bowl or stern, and theweight will he transferred to a point near the center of gravity ofthevessel By provid ng the conveyer with an- 'independent motor mechanismit may he read-.

ily swung clear of any cargo located on the forecastle or stern of theboat and quickly adusted to convenient position for use.

- Havingthus described the invention, what is claimed is.-.

1. In a device of the class described afranie formed ofpiv'otally-connected sections, a con- 4 veyer carried by eachsection,and gearing connections between the conveyer-scctiona said gear ngconnections being automatically disconnected when the sections of theframe 7 are folded, i 1 2. in n device of the 'classdescribed, afoldable flame-formed of a plurality of sections, a

gearing earriedby the sections; the gearing beingantomatieallydisconncctedwhenthe sections are'folded.

Thecomhination ina conveye'r, of a; frame formed ofchannehiron havingcurved or semicircular end portions, shafts extending between thechannel-irons, flanged rollers carried by the shafts and entering thechanneh ing the several shafts.

- The combination with a derriclnof a-ho'om connected to the derrick, apivotally-rienntes sectional'conveyer, a conveyer carried hy'the frame,and independent connections between the: sections of the conveyer andtheboom.- 5. The combination withaderr'ickmf a boom and an end-lesslcad-.coi. 1ve;yerconnect 'conveyer' xn e'chanisrn for each section, and

supported thereby; a sectional conveyer- Hame -independent conveyerscarried by the sections'thereof, and independent tacl'cle con-v nectionshetweenthe sections iend the boom thei-ebyto permit-independentadjustment of the positions of said section's.

61 in a device of the class specified, a frame. having npper andjlowersets of bars-or rails} an endless; con'veyer carried by the frame andhaving rails resting on. said here, gang-planks arranged nit oppositesides of tl'ieJlr-ame, and, diagona snpports extending from said frameand carrying said gang-planks.

in itestimony'thati claim the for )ing as the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

JQH. 'Joonnri, Jan, J. WALKER.

roq

my own}; have hereto 'rn y signatnrc'in JQHN .nsnot EANANQ

